Chasing Our Tales - The Peace Commission of 1859

This month I am going to continue the narrative of the Peace Commission of 1859 in their endeavors to stop the Indian wars in North Central Texas as told in The West Texas Frontier by Joseph Carroll McConnell.

“The testimony, however, goes to show that those Indians hand previously to that, killed cattle, and had horses at different times in their possession, under circumstances leaving no doubt of their guilt as horse thieves.

“As the people became more harassed and alarmed, and consequently more in consultation one section with another, new facts were developed, sworn testimony adduced, and a general conviction fastened upon the minds of the people that the robberies and murders had been and were committed by Indians belonging to both reserves. Complaints were made, and divers instances have been sworn to, that when citizens went to the reserves to look after their stolen horses, they were treated with incivility, and met with expressions of unbounded confidence in the honesty and fidelity of the Indians. These facts, coupled, with the feeling incident to the frequent loss of their stock, and became co-workers in bringing about subsequent collisions.

“The agents were requested not to allow the Indians to leave the reservation, unless accompanied by responsible white men, but it is alleged no regard was paid to their wishes. On the 27th of December last, Garland and his party killed several of a small band encamped in Palo Pinto County, unaccompanied by a white protector. The facts relative to this matter need not be recapitulated; but the results growing out of it went far to exasperate the people. A large body of armed citizens assembled in Palo Pinto County to consult with agents, but, they being absent, a verbal agreement was made with the chiefs that no Indian or Indians should leave the reserve unless in company with a responsible white man, and that people would disband and go to their homes, which they did. Still later, after the federal government ordered the removal of the Indians, the people again met at Jamison’s Peak, and resolved, if the agents would keep the Indians on the reserve, that they would remain quiet, and allow a reasonable time for their removal. Depredations, however, still continued, and most of the other counties organized minute ranging companies--those below for general protection against all Indians; some near the reserve, more particularly to guard against what they believed to be depredations of bands from the reserve.

“The Jack County company, while thus ranging, captured, and the same day killed, the Indian, Fox. Fox’s party consisted of seven, with four led horses, returning from beyond Red River. On their way out it is shown, that seven horses were stolen in Jack County, under circumstances throwing strong suspicion upon them. In their absence, the citizens believed they had stolen the horses, and this is assigned as the special reason for the attack. The killing, after capturing Fox, cannot be justified; but the grounds for the attack upon his party, viewed circumstantially, were strong. For several weeks previous to this event, and the almost contemporaneous killing of young Halden, near the Comanche reserve, comparative quite had prevailed.

“But when the killing of Fox was followed by the immediate march of about eighty Indians, with an employe of the agency and a lieutenant of the United States army and two soldiers to Jacksboro, the exasperation of the people along the while frontier, and inside of it, became great, and hundreds flew to arms, primarily to prevent the threatened arrest of the Jack County rangers, but prepared, also, to resent the indignity in any manner that might offer.

“We are driven irresistibly, by all the facts ascertained, to the conclusion that this act of unprecedented usurpation, impending the homes and lives of a sleeping village, (unadvised of their approach or its cause), by the presence of eighty mounted Indian warriors, exited by the loss of one of their own band, was an outrage of the most dangerous and insulting character, unparalleled, perhaps, in our own or the history of any other State. It was the immediate cause of the assembling of the people under arms near the Brazos reserve, and all that sprung from that assemblage.

“It can only be mitigated by the fact that the Indians, with a white man, were sent out by the agent to ascertain what had become of Fox, and that Captain Plummer sent Lieutenant Burnet and two soldiers along to prevent a collision; neither the agent nor Captain Plummer, perhaps, having any idea of the party going farther than the scene of the skirmish. Be this as it may, the actual outrage upon the people of Jacksboro, and of the bearing and language of Lieutenant Burnet in this matter were extremely reprehensible. It is due to Captain Plummer to say, that he is placed in a most delicate and painful position as an officer of the United States; and that while he is bound to meet force with force in a certain contingency, he expresses the greatest solicitude, past and present, to avoid any collision with the people in whose state he has been stations eleven years, and for whom he manifests the highest regard.

“We deem it unnecessary to follow the events connected with the assemblage and skirmish at the reserve. We hope there will occur no occasion for its repetition; and with the guard proposed to be thrown around the reserve, and their speedy removal, (which cannot be too strongly urged), there is every reason to believe tranquility will be restored.

“You will see also that the Mexican lately captured on the Clear Fork of the Brazos represented himself as belonging to the Kioways, and at the same time betrayed a knowledge of the reserve difficulties, which would only be obtained from Indians on them.

“In regard to the acts of the people, there can be no doubt some excesses have been committed; and it is perfectly true that some letter writers, and one or two presses, have given currency to every exaggerated, and false reports, and, by inflammatory appeals, sought to lead the people to intemperate extremes, in times when wise counsels were needed; and we are impressed with the belief that the great mass of the people have acted under an honest conviction that self-preservation demanded action, and considering the excitement and haste with which they have been, on several occasions, drawn together, that they have acted with much forbearance and propriety.

“The exceptions to this remark include the reckless few who are ever ready to enlist under a popular banner for sinister motives.

“We have made no mention of the desolation along the frontier, farms abandoned, families removed into the settlements for safety, and the general feeling of insecurity everywhere manifest. Your obedient servants, John Henry Brown, G. B. Erath, J. M. Steiner, J. M. Smith, Richard Coke.

“To” His Excellency, H. R. Runnels, Governor of the State of Texas.”

To complete the column, here is a letter from a reader:

“I read, with interest, your article on the Keechi Indian tribe (now part of the Delawares of western Oklahoma), of which I am a member. As an update to that article, there are a few corrections for you, and perhaps some further information. The family name Keechi came about from a very specific incident that occurred. My grandfather, Frank Elmo Keechi told me the story that over a campfire while out on hunting trips these many years past. He was born in the either the late 1880s or early 1890s (his birth dates are listed incorrectly on records, and we've never been able to figure out exactly when he was born) his father (Charlie) had at one time gone through tribal census with the whites. Charlie, whose name was chah-ke-char (and not the early 1900s charlie), did not speak English very well, and when they asked his name, he said Kichai/Kitsai (the tribe), and it was written Keechi (this could have been when an early tribal census was taken, or as part of the Trail of Tears movement, as I can't pinpoint the date).

“His grandfather would normally have spoken for them, but being deaf and only talking by (Indian) sign language, he had no way to communicate. That was the start of the family name which was really the tribe. Also, of note there is a Kechi (sp) in Kansas as well as in Oklahoma, as well as springs, wildlife management areas, and mountains with the name. Sometimes the spelling changes, but it is pronounced "key-Chye" rhymes with eye. Also Caddos and Keechis were not always friendly to another, they fought quite often. And, although intermarriage happened, if you asked, no Kichai would say they are Caddo.

“We have updated our tribes website, the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma, http://www.aaanativearts.com/article30.html. Also I have a copy of the Tehuacana Treaty which is interesting. My sister has done extensive research on our tribe, and knows much more than I. thanks for your interesting article, Frank Keechi"

Well, that’s all for this time. Thanks for your time. If you have something to contribute to this column, we would welcome it. You can contact me at P O Box 61, Mineral Wells TX 76068-0061.

You all come back now, you hear?

©2009 Sue Seibert